If Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (
The legal controversy over whether Chiang committed treason rests solely on the question of whether China is treated as a "foreign country" under Taiwan's laws. Article 113 of the Criminal Code states that it is a crime to enter into any agreements with a "foreign government" without government authorization. Article 2 of the Constitution ambiguously states that the national territory of this country is in accordance with the "existing national boundaries" and leaves open the question of whether China is part of this territory. In addition, the language of the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
However, leaving aside the legalese and relying instead on common sense, Beijing is not only a "foreign government" but in fact the government of an enemy state. After all, if Beijing is not a foreign government, then what is the current "Republic of China"(Taiwan) government?
This is reminiscent of the old definition of the crime "rape" under Article 221 of the Criminal Code. Before the 1999 amendment only "women" could be victims of the crime. Therefore, from the standpoint of legal technicality, those who raped men could avoid punishment. That particular loophole has been closed through a legal amendment. The same should be done to solve the ambiguous status of China under Taiwan's laws.
It is shameful and dishonorable for the KMT to abuse these loopholes in this manner. But it not only has refused to apologize for its mistake, KMT spokesperson Su Chi (
Some KMT lawmakers have accused President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the Democratic Progressive Party of being "jealous" of the KMT and Chiang. The accusation is of course ridiculous, because there is reason to feel jealous of someone only if that person has achieved something admirable.
In its desperation to kill the chances of People First Party Chairman James Soong (
Taiwan's government must take a tough position on this. At the very least, close the legal loopholes to prevent further unauthorized actions.
In dealing with Beijing, each and every step taken must be based on an internal consensus reached in Taiwan and be part of a comprehensive government plan.
The government risks losing control of cross-strait policy if it becomes a trend for political parties and individuals to rush to the other side of the Taiwan Strait to compete for the affections of Beijing behind the government's back.
The damage to the government's dignity and credibility cannot be underestimated.
Chinese actor Alan Yu (于朦朧) died after allegedly falling from a building in Beijing on Sept. 11. The actor’s mysterious death was tightly censored on Chinese social media, with discussions and doubts about the incident quickly erased. Even Hong Kong artist Daniel Chan’s (陳曉東) post questioning the truth about the case was automatically deleted, sparking concern among overseas Chinese-speaking communities about the dark culture and severe censorship in China’s entertainment industry. Yu had been under house arrest for days, and forced to drink with the rich and powerful before he died, reports said. He lost his life in this vicious
In South Korea, the medical cosmetic industry is fiercely competitive and prices are low, attracting beauty enthusiasts from Taiwan. However, basic medical risks are often overlooked. While sharing a meal with friends recently, I heard one mention that his daughter would be going to South Korea for a cosmetic skincare procedure. I felt a twinge of unease at the time, but seeing as it was just a casual conversation among friends, I simply reminded him to prioritize safety. I never thought that, not long after, I would actually encounter a patient in my clinic with a similar situation. She had
A recent trio of opinion articles in this newspaper reflects the growing anxiety surrounding Washington’s reported request for Taiwan to shift up to 50 percent of its semiconductor production abroad — a process likely to take 10 years, even under the most serious and coordinated effort. Simon H. Tang (湯先鈍) issued a sharp warning (“US trade threatens silicon shield,” Oct. 4, page 8), calling the move a threat to Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” which he argues deters aggression by making Taiwan indispensable. On the same day, Hsiao Hsi-huei (蕭錫惠) (“Responding to US semiconductor policy shift,” Oct. 4, page 8) focused on
George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This article will help readers avoid repeating mistakes by examining four examples from the civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces and the Republic of China (ROC) forces that involved two city sieges and two island invasions. The city sieges compared are Changchun (May to October 1948) and Beiping (November 1948 to January 1949, renamed Beijing after its capture), and attempts to invade Kinmen (October 1949) and Hainan (April 1950). Comparing and contrasting these examples, we can learn how Taiwan may prevent a war with
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